Paintball is a far more difficult sport to play when you do not have good equipment. Your mask is one of the most important pieces of protective paintball equipment you will use, so it’s important to take care of it.
Sometimes, paintballs can break and leave deposits in your Paintball Mask. These deposits can cause your goggles to fog or not seal properly to your face. You need to clean your mask after every use. It is a simple process that will keep your equipment in good shape.
Importance of Keeping Your Paintball Mask Clean
Keeping your paintball mask clean is very important for your safety. Moreover, clean paintball goggles allow you to focus more on the game and, that is going to give you a big advantage on the field. Besides, regular maintenance of the mask also extends its life.
Paintballs are not magnetic so, they are difficult to remove from the mask even if you wipe it with a cloth. The paintballs can easily find tiny openings in the mask and, then they can get into your eyes! If that happens, you will be seriously injured.
Helps Improving your Gameplay
Keeping your paintball mask clean is essential to improving your game. A clean paintball mask not only protects you from paintballs but also gives a clear line of sight so you can see the opponents and avoid their sudden attacks.
Ensures enhanced Safety
Your mask is designed to protect you from paintballs that are shot at you by your opponents. While a paintball might not be as damaging as a bullet, a direct hit can still cause damage to your eyes. If you’re wearing a paintball mask that isn’t cleaned regularly, you run the risk of eye infections or worse. Keeping your mask clean is an easy way to protect your eyes and face from paintballs.
Extends the Life of the Mask
It’s important to take good care of your mask. If you take good care of it, it will last you for a long time. However, if you don’t, you risk the chance of the paint and dirt hardening and causing damage to your mask.
How Often you Should Clean your Mask
The paintball mask’s main job is to protect your face and eyes from the impact of paintballs and other debris that you might encounter on the field. You should clean it as often as possible for it to be able to perform this job properly.
A good rule of thumb is to clean your paintball mask once a week. A Clean Goggle not only protects your face but also enhances your vision. With a dirty mask on, you will not be able to see anything clearly and, this means that you will have a hard time playing the game.
Products required to Clean a Mask
Paintball masks are expensive (we have compiled a list of paintball masks under 100 dollars). That fact, combined with the fact that you need to clean them after virtually every use, means that mask cleaning is one of the most crucial aspects of paintball. For most players, daily mask care consists of little more than washing your hands and wiping your lens off on a microfiber cloth or t-shirt.
However, professional mask maintenance includes many different products designed to remove dirt and surface grime from your goggle’s lens, rubber components, foam padding, and other areas that are vital to achieving peak performance without visual distortion or material damage.
- Microfiber Cloths
- Lens Cleaner
- Water
Items you should never use to Clean a Paintball Mask
There are a lot of different products out there that people will recommend you use on your paintball mask. Some of these products are great and can help your paintball mask perform better whereas, others are a waste of money and will just degrade the quality of your mask.
Do not use ammonia-based cleaners
Ammonia is often found in common household products such as window cleaners and air fresheners. It will remove paint from your lenses, leaving permanent smudges. Never use ammonia-based products to clean your mask.
Do not use oven cleaner
Oven cleaner is designed specifically to eat away at the grime and dirt that builds up inside ovens and, it can also be used for cleaning paintball equipment, including your mask. However, Oven cleaner is highly caustic and will corrode the lenses on your lens if left for too long.
Never use sandpaper
Using sandpaper to clean your mask is dangerous for two reasons. The first is that the abrasive particles will scratch up the lenses of your mask, causing permanent damage. The other reason is to prevent fogging; if you use sandpaper or something rougher than a microfiber cloth to wipe down your lens, you will end up scratching it to the point that it will fog up your mask.
Avoid using Towel or Tissue to Clean Mask
Never use a paper towel or tissue, even if it feels soft. It is because the fibers are very rough and will scrape off any paint that may have gotten onto the lenses of your mask and ultimately results in permanent damage to the Lens.
Pro Tips to Clean a Paintball Mask
The paintball mask is arguably the most important piece of equipment for any paintball player. Without it, you would be unable to properly defend against an oncoming attack or protect your face from the stray fire.
Like many other pieces of paintball gear, the mask needs to be cleaned regularly to stay functional and clear during the game. While cleaning a paintball mask is not a complicated process, many players wonder how they should be going about it.
To keep your eye protection as clear as possible you will need to follow a few basic steps in the cleaning process. Most importantly, make sure that you are working with a clean surface before continuing.
Remove the Lens
Before starting the cleaning process, remove your lens from your marker. It can be done by twisting it off gently. If there is a thermal layer on the lens, make sure you use great care when taking it out of its protective container or bag. Finally, take a soft cloth and wipe from the center of the lens out, removing any dirt or paint.
Inspect the Lens
Lenses are the most vulnerable part of a Paintball Mask. Before starting in-depth cleaning of your Goggle, you should give a quick inspection to the Lens. The primary function of the Lens is to protect your Eyes from incoming paintballs and, you must ensure that they are in perfect working position.
The first step is to clean your goggles as much as possible before inspecting them. The more dirt and smudges you can remove from the lens, the easier it will be for you to find the crack or scratch.
To find small cracks or fractures on your goggles, place them in direct sunlight and shine a flashlight across each of the lenses. Once you have done this, you should be able to see any scratches or cracks. If you cannot see your lens as clearly as possible, try using a magnifying glass.
If you find a crack on the lens of your paintball mask stop using it and remove it from service as soon as possible. Even if the ‘crack’ is microscopic, there is still the risk that it will expand and give off particles, making them into your eyes.
Starting cleaning Dirt from Exterior
When cleaning a paintball mask, you need to remove the visor from the rest of the mask. Before beginning on removing dirt and grime from the outside, make sure that there isn’t any dried paint inside. Make sure to use a cleaner specifically designed for paintball mask lenses, as other cleaners may be too strong and crack the visor.
If cleaning a paintball mask from outside, use water and a drop of dish soap to wet the entire mask’s exterior, including the lens. Scrub any dried grime with a brush or gentle soap pad. Rinse off all cleaner and wipe dry with a towel.
Clean from Inside
Remove the caps that are on each end of the mask, use a flat-head screwdriver if they’re tight or need lubrication to get them off more easily. I’d also recommend doing this over a sink in case anything spills out of the mask while you open it up.
Once both caps are removed, you’ll see two more screws underneath each one holding the mask together. Remove them with your screwdriver. After all four of the mask’s caps are removed, turn it over and open it just like how you would open a book. The top of the mask will reach just about halfway down your nose, lift it and place it where you can comfortably work on it.
Now, remove the foam inside the mask using either a flat-head screwdriver or your hands. Use some cotton swabs or a cotton towel to gently wipe away any dirt or grime on the inside of your mask.
